Latest news with #A11pl3Z
National Geographic
2 days ago
- Science
- National Geographic
Our solar system has a new mysterious visitor—what is it?
Just the third-ever confirmed interstellar object has been detected in our solar system. Here's what we know. (Spoiler: It's not aliens.) The interstellar comet, originally called A11pl3Z and now known as 3I/Atlas, was first reported by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (Atlas) survey telescope at El Sauce Observatory in Río Hurtado, Chile. Photograph by Matt Dieterich On July 1, scientists operating a planetary defense facility saw something glimmering in the shadow of Jupiter, about 420 million miles from Earth. It certainly wasn't a near-Earth asteroid, nor was it a regular comet. Within a matter of hours, it became clear that this voyager wasn't even from our solar system: Its orbit was too steep, its speed was too great. Astronomers quickly concluded that this was an interstellar object—a sojourner from another star. These entities are, for the moment, vanishingly rare. This interstellar object is just the third ever confirmed. Serendipitously, scientists caught as it was making its way into the solar system, which means they will get to study it for several months and uncover its many secrets. 'Astronomers around the world will be pointing their telescopes, large and small, at this object… providing us with clues about its home planetary system,' says Sarah Greenstreet, an astronomer at the University of Washington. Here's everything we know so far about our solar system's latest interstellar visitor—and how scientists plan on resolving its mysteries in the coming weeks and months. This image shows the observation of comet 3I/ATLAS when it was discovered on July 1, 2025. The NASA-funded ATLAS survey telescope in Chile first reported that the comet originated from interstellar space. Photograph by ATLAS/University of Hawaii/NASA This animation shows the observations of comet 3I/ATLAS when it was discovered on July 1, 2025. The NASA-funded ATLAS survey telescope in Chile first reported that the comet originated from interstellar space. Animation by ATLAS/University of Hawaii/NASA Like asteroids and comets, interstellar objects are thought to be remnants from a time when planets were first forming or the ruins of wrecked worlds and moons. But instead of originating around our sun, they hail from another planetary system entirely. As such, finding them is of paramount importance to astronomers. 'The more we can learn about other planetary systems from these interstellar visitors, the better we can understand how similar or different our own solar system is to the vast number of other planetary systems that stretch across the Milky Way,' says Greenstreet. (Did a 2014 meteor come from interstellar space?) Only two have been discovered so far. The first, 'Oumuamua, was spotted in 2017, and it was considerably strange: a pancake or cigar-shaped object that behaved like a comet but didn't display any clear signs of cometary activity. Because it was detected as it was already leaving the solar system, astronomers didn't get much time to study it. Theories about its origin run the gamut from plausible (a piece of a dead planet or a particularly odd comet) to the considerably less plausible (an alien spaceship). Then in 2019, astronomers spied a second object called 2I/Borisov, which looked and acted a lot more like a comet. Astronomers managed to scope it out as it was making its way into the solar system, and they got to examine it more closely. A sample size of two makes it difficult to know what interstellar objects are like in general. Astronomers hope that number will increase with the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory's comprehensive 10-year survey of the night sky launching later this year. But for now, this third interstellar object is a nice surprise. The new visitor was detected by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) facility, a network of four autonomous NASA-funded telescopes designed to spot potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroids. ATLAS's station in Chile spotted the interloper during a routine survey. Initially, 'we did not suspect anything unusual about its orbit,' says Larry Denneau, one of the principal investigators of ATLAS at the University of Hawai'i. But that quickly changed when astronomers at other telescopes glimpsed the object, and scientists plotted out its orbit with more precision. (Asteroids with 'unstable orbits' hide around Venus—do they threaten Earth?) Asteroids and comets can have all sorts of orbits, but they all still circumnavigate the Sun. This object, though, was moving too rapidly and in a very elongated manner, which indicated it 'is not bound to the Sun's gravity and will never pass through our solar system again,' says Greenstreet. With everyone in agreement, the object was confirmed and officially given a name: 3I/ATLAS. So, what's it like? The knowns and unknowns of 3I/ATLAS A new paper uploaded to the pre-print server arXiv summarizes what scientists know about the interstellar object so far. It clearly has a coma—a hazy bubble of gas created when ice turns into vapor as it's warmed by sunlight. 'Compared to the first two interstellar objects we've discovered, 3I/ATLAS is cometary like 2I/Borisov,' says Greenstreet, meaning, for now, 'Oumuamua remains the weirdo of the group. There are also hints that the object is somewhat red—a tell-tale sign that it's made of primeval matter that coalesced during the early days of its planetary system. So it's probably an extremely old geologic time capsule. 'At the moment, it's difficult to say how big it is,' says Greenstreet. Based on how much sunlight it's reflecting, it could be anywhere from 6 to 15 miles long. That's far bigger than 'Oumuamua (about one-quarter mile long) and 2I/Borisov (two-thirds of a mile long). But its coma and current distance obscure the true size of its likely smaller solid core. Not too much else is known about 3I/ATLAS just yet, but its trajectory through the solar system works in astronomers' favor. 'It'll be moving inwards for a few more months before it starts heading back out again,' says Aster Taylor, a graduate student of astrophysics at the University of Michigan. 'it's moving fast… [but] we'll have time to observe it.' Observatories all around the world, and even those in space, will spend time tracking it. As it dives toward the sun, 3I/ATLAS will also come within 18 million miles of Mars in early October. Several spacecraft are currently orbiting the Red Planet, and they may be able to use their cameras to study 3I/ATLAS's chemistry and other features as it rushes by. Astronomers expect to see plenty more cometary activity. Comets are often made of various types of ice, including frozen carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and water. In the next few weeks, 3I/ATLAS will get close enough to the sun for its water ice to start vaporizing—expanding its coma and lengthening its luminescent tail. 'Be on the lookout for images in the coming months that show off its beautiful cometary features as it makes its relatively short journey through our corner of the galaxy,' says Greenstreet.
Daily Tribune
04-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Tribune
Third-ever confirmed interstellar object blazing through Solar System
AFP |Washington Astronomers on Wednesday confirmed the discovery of an interstellar object racing through our Solar System -- only the third ever spotted, though scientists suspect many more may slip past unnoticed. The visitor from the stars, designated 3I/Atlas, is likely the largest yet detected, and has been classified as a comet, or cosmic snowball. 'It looks kind of fuzzy,' Peter Veres, an astronomer with the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, which was responsible for the official confirmation, told AFP. 'It seems that there is some gas around it, and I think one or two telescopes reported a very short tail.' Originally known as A11pl3Z before it was confirmed to be of interstellar origin, the object poses no threat to Earth, said Richard Moissl, head of planetary defense at the European Space Agency. 'It will fly deep through the Solar System, passing just inside the orbit of Mars,' but will not hit our neighboring planet, he said. Excited astronomers are still refining their calculations, but the object appears to be zooming more than 60 kilometres (37 miles) a second. This would mean it is not bound by the Sun's orbit, unlike objects that remain within the solar system. Its trajectory also 'means it's not orbiting our star, but coming from interstellar space and flying off to there again,' Moissl said. 'We think that probably these little ice balls get formed associated with star systems,' added Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. 'And then as another star passes by, tugs on the ice ball, frees it out. It goes rogue, wanders through the galaxy, and now this one is just passing us.' A Chile based observatory that is part of the NASA-funded ATLAS survey first discovered the object on Tuesday
The Irish Sun
04-07-2025
- Science
- The Irish Sun
Mystery 12-mile-wide ‘fuzzy object with a tail' spotted blazing through our solar system at 37 miles a SECOND, Nasa says
A MYSTERIOUS cosmic object has been spotted zooming through our solar system - and astronomers say it is only the third of its kind. The "fuzzy" object with a "short tail" is no fur-ball alien, but instead a large icy comet from interstellar space. Advertisement 6 An artist's impression of an interstellar comet Credit: ESA 6 The interstellar comet is seen inside the red box Credit: David Rankin / Saguaro Observatory 6 The comet was first spotted on 1 July by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Río Hurtado, Chile Credit: ESA 6 Comet A11pl3Z's path through the solar system Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech The celestial visitor is only the third interstellar object on record to grace our solar system, and is also likely the largest yet detected. It follows the rare visits from the famous 1I/ʻOumuamua asteroid in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. "The fact that we see some fuzziness suggests that it is mostly ice rather than mostly rock," Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, told AFP. Peter Veres, an astronomer with the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, which was responsible for the official confirmation, added: "It looks kind of fuzzy... It seems that there is some gas around it, and I think one or two telescopes reported a very short tail." Advertisement READ MORE ON SPACE The 12-mile-wide comet, known o riginally as A11pl3Z before it was confirmed to be of interstellar origin , is blazing through the solar system at great speed. While astronomers are still refining their calculations, the object appears to be zooming more than 60 kilometers (37 miles) a second. 6 An artist's impression of 'Oumuamua, the first known interstellar visitor in our solar system Credit: Nasa The comet poses no threat to Earth, said Richard Moissl, head of planetary defense at the European Space Agency (ESA). Advertisement It's closest approach of Earth, which is projected to occur in late October, will see it pass "jus t inside the orbit of Mars ," according to Moissl . Most read in Science Breaking It will pass our blue dot no closer than 240 million kilometres – over 1.5 times the distance between Earth and the Sun. By the time it does make its closest path of Earth, it will be hidden by the Sun - meaning stargazers will have no chance of spotting it in the night sky. Incredible moment a fireball comet is spotted racing past stunning aurora towards Earth While it is expected to reappear by early December, this will only offer astronomers another window for study. Advertisement The comet was first spotted on 1 July by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Río Hurtado, Chile. Its unusual trajectory immediately raised suspicions that the comet came from an unknown world in interstellar space . Its current path "means it's not orbiting our star, but coming from interstellar space and flying off to there again," according to Moissl. What's the difference between an asteroid, meteor and comet? Here's what you need to know, according to Nasa... Asteroid: An asteroid is a small rocky body that orbits the Sun. Most are found in the asteroid belt (between Mars and Jupiter) but they can be found anywhere (including in a path that can impact Earth) Meteoroid: When two asteroids hit each other, the small chunks that break off are called meteoroids Meteor: If a meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere, it begins to vapourise and then becomes a meteor. On Earth, it'll look like a streak of light in the sky, because the rock is burning up Meteorite: If a meteoroid doesn't vapourise completely and survives the trip through Earth's atmosphere, it can land on the Earth. At that point, it becomes a meteorite Comet: Like asteroids, a comet orbits the Sun. However rather than being made mostly of rock, a comet contains lots of ice and gas, which can result in amazing tails forming behind them (thanks to the ice and dust vaporizing) ESA's Planetary Defence Office, tasked with safeguarding Earth from potential asteroid and comet impacts, alerted astronomers who can now track the comet's path. Advertisement These efforts are part of ESA's broader mission to detect, track, and characterise near-Earth objects. "What makes interstellar objects like 3I/ATLAS so extraordinary is their absolutely foreign nature," ESA wrote in a recent "They are remnants of other planetary systems, carrying with them clues about the formation of worlds far beyond our own. "It may be thousands of years until humans visit a planet in another solar system and interstellar comets offer the tantalising opportunity for us to touch something truly otherworldly." Advertisement That's why the space agency is preparing the Comet Interceptor mission for 2029. ESA is set to send a spacecraft into a parking orbit in space to wait for a suitable target comet – or even a rare interstellar object - to retrieve samples from. 6 CGI image of ESA's Comet Interceptor spacecraft Credit: ESA All you need to know about planets in our solar system Our solar system is made up of nine planets with Earth the third closest to the Sun. But each planet has its own quirks, so find out more about them all... How old is How many moons does What colour is How far away is How big is How many moons does Does How many moons does How big is How hot is the Advertisement
Scottish Sun
04-07-2025
- Science
- Scottish Sun
Mystery 12-mile-wide ‘fuzzy object with a tail' spotted blazing through our solar system at 37 miles a SECOND, Nasa says
It follows the rare visits from the famous 1I/ʻOumuamua asteroid in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019 ALIEN INVADER Mystery 12-mile-wide 'fuzzy object with a tail' spotted blazing through our solar system at 37 miles a SECOND, Nasa says A MYSTERIOUS cosmic object has been spotted zooming through our solar system - and astronomers say it is only the third of its kind. The "fuzzy" object with a "short tail" is no fur-ball alien, but instead a large icy comet from interstellar space. 6 An artist's impression of an interstellar comet Credit: ESA 6 The interstellar comet is seen inside the red box Credit: David Rankin / Saguaro Observatory 6 The comet was first spotted on 1 July by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Río Hurtado, Chile Credit: ESA 6 Comet A11pl3Z's path through the solar system Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech The celestial visitor is only the third interstellar object on record to grace our solar system, and is also likely the largest yet detected. It follows the rare visits from the famous 1I/ʻOumuamua asteroid in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. "The fact that we see some fuzziness suggests that it is mostly ice rather than mostly rock," Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, told AFP. Peter Veres, an astronomer with the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, which was responsible for the official confirmation, added: "It looks kind of fuzzy... It seems that there is some gas around it, and I think one or two telescopes reported a very short tail." The 12-mile-wide comet, known originally as A11pl3Z before it was confirmed to be of interstellar origin, is blazing through the solar system at great speed. While astronomers are still refining their calculations, the object appears to be zooming more than 60 kilometers (37 miles) a second. 6 An artist's impression of 'Oumuamua, the first known interstellar visitor in our solar system Credit: Nasa The comet poses no threat to Earth, said Richard Moissl, head of planetary defense at the European Space Agency (ESA). It's closest approach of Earth, which is projected to occur in late October, will see it pass "just inside the orbit of Mars," according to Moissl. It will pass our blue dot no closer than 240 million kilometres – over 1.5 times the distance between Earth and the Sun. By the time it does make its closest path of Earth, it will be hidden by the Sun - meaning stargazers will have no chance of spotting it in the night sky. Incredible moment a fireball comet is spotted racing past stunning aurora towards Earth While it is expected to reappear by early December, this will only offer astronomers another window for study. The comet was first spotted on 1 July by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Río Hurtado, Chile. Its unusual trajectory immediately raised suspicions that the comet came from an unknown world in interstellar space. Its current path "means it's not orbiting our star, but coming from interstellar space and flying off to there again," according to Moissl. What's the difference between an asteroid, meteor and comet? Here's what you need to know, according to Nasa... Asteroid: An asteroid is a small rocky body that orbits the Sun. Most are found in the asteroid belt (between Mars and Jupiter) but they can be found anywhere (including in a path that can impact Earth) An asteroid is a small rocky body that orbits the Sun. Most are found in the asteroid belt (between Mars and Jupiter) but they can be found anywhere (including in a path that can impact Earth) Meteoroid: When two asteroids hit each other, the small chunks that break off are called meteoroids When two asteroids hit each other, the small chunks that break off are called meteoroids Meteor: If a meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere, it begins to vapourise and then becomes a meteor. On Earth, it'll look like a streak of light in the sky, because the rock is burning up If a meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere, it begins to vapourise and then becomes a meteor. On Earth, it'll look like a streak of light in the sky, because the rock is burning up Meteorite: If a meteoroid doesn't vapourise completely and survives the trip through Earth's atmosphere, it can land on the Earth. At that point, it becomes a meteorite If a meteoroid doesn't vapourise completely and survives the trip through Earth's atmosphere, it can land on the Earth. At that point, it becomes a meteorite Comet: Like asteroids, a comet orbits the Sun. However rather than being made mostly of rock, a comet contains lots of ice and gas, which can result in amazing tails forming behind them (thanks to the ice and dust vaporizing) ESA's Planetary Defence Office, tasked with safeguarding Earth from potential asteroid and comet impacts, alerted astronomers who can now track the comet's path. These efforts are part of ESA's broader mission to detect, track, and characterise near-Earth objects. "What makes interstellar objects like 3I/ATLAS so extraordinary is their absolutely foreign nature," ESA wrote in a recent blog post. "They are remnants of other planetary systems, carrying with them clues about the formation of worlds far beyond our own. "It may be thousands of years until humans visit a planet in another solar system and interstellar comets offer the tantalising opportunity for us to touch something truly otherworldly." That's why the space agency is preparing the Comet Interceptor mission for 2029. ESA is set to send a spacecraft into a parking orbit in space to wait for a suitable target comet – or even a rare interstellar object - to retrieve samples from. 6 CGI image of ESA's Comet Interceptor spacecraft Credit: ESA All you need to know about planets in our solar system Our solar system is made up of nine planets with Earth the third closest to the Sun. But each planet has its own quirks, so find out more about them all... How old is Earth? Plus other facts on our planet How many moons does Mercury have? What colour is Venus? How far away is Mars to Earth? And other facts on the red planet How big is Jupiter? How many moons does Saturn have? Does Uranus have rings? How many moons does Neptune have? How big is Pluto? How hot is the Sun?
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA confirms that mysterious object shooting through the solar system is an 'interstellar visitor' — and it has a new name
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. NASA scientists have confirmed that a mysterious object shooting toward us through the solar system is an "interstellar object" — only the third of its kind ever seen. Experts have also given the cosmic interloper an official name, and revealed new information about its origins and trajectory. News of the extrasolar entity, initially dubbed A11pl3Z, broke on Tuesday (July 1), when NASA and the International Astronomical Union (IAU) both listed it as a confirmed object. It was first discovered in data collected between June 25 and June 29 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), which automatically scans the night sky using telescopes in Hawaii, Chile and South Africa. Multiple telescopes across the world have subsequently spotted the object in observation data that date back to June 14. The object is traveling toward the sun extremely fast, at around 152,000 mph (245,000 km/h), and observations suggest that it is set on an extremely flat and straight trajectory, unlike anything else in the solar system. This led many experts to speculate that it originated from beyond the sun's gravitational influence and has enough momentum to shoot straight through our cosmic neighborhood without slowing down. On Wednesday (July 2), NASA released a statement confirming that A11pl3Z is indeed an interstellar object and will not remain in the solar system for long. The researchers also shared the object's new official name, 3I/ATLAS, and revealed that it is most likely a comet, upending previous assumptions that it was an asteroid. The object's full comet name is C/2025 N1 (ATLAS). Until now, only two confirmed interstellar visitors have ever been spotted: Comet 2I/Borisov, which was seen sailing through the solar system in 2019; and 'Oumuamua, a cigar-shaped object that made headlines in 2017 when some astronomers argued it was potentially an alien probe, before experts showed it was most likely a hydrogen-spewing space rock. But scientists have long suspected that many more interstellar interlopers likely pass through our cosmic neighborhood without ever being detected. Related: 1 million 'interstellar objects' — each larger than the Statue of Liberty — may lurk in the outer solar system Researchers initially suspected that 3I/ATLAS was an asteroid, like 'Oumuamua. However, the object has displayed "tentative signs of cometary activity" like 2I/Borisov — including being surrounded by a bright cloud of gas and ice, known as a coma, and having what looks like a tail — according to the IAU's Minor Planet Center. However, more observations are needed to confirm this. There has been no additional information about the potential comet's size or shape: The current best guess is that it could be up to 12 miles (20 kilometers) across. However, NASA has revealed updated information about its upcoming journey through the solar system. 3I/ATLAS is currently around 4.5 times as far from the sun as Earth is. It will reach its closest point to the sun, or perihelion, on Oct. 30, coming within 1.4 Earth-sun distances, or astronomical units (AU), of our home star. Shortly before this happens, the comet will also make its closest approach to Mars, coming within 0.4 AU of the Red Planet. Earth will be on the opposite side of the sun to 3I/ATLAS during its solar flyby. The comet will likely make its closest approach to Earth in December, on its journey back out of the solar system. As a result, "the comet poses no threat to Earth and will remain at a [minimum] distance of at least 1.6 astronomical units," NASA officials wrote in the statement. The interloper is currently too faint to see with amateur stargazing equipment, but it may brighten significantly in the coming weeks and months. However, you can watch it shoot through the solar system via an upcoming livestream from the Virtual Telescope Project, starting at 6:00 p.m. EST on Thursday (July 3). RELATED STORIES —An interstellar object exploded over Earth in 2014, declassified government data reveal —Scientists want to build an 'interstellar interceptor' to play hide-and-seek with the next 'Oumuamua —An interstellar visitor may have changed the course of 4 solar system planets, study suggests 3I/ATLAS is now "being investigated by astronomers around the world," NASA officials wrote. Researchers will be able to study it until the end of September, when it will become obscured by the sun's light, and again from December onwards when the comet reemerges from behind our home star. The interstellar visitor will likely be imaged by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory — the world's most powerful optical telescope, which recently released its first images. Some researchers have also suggested using the James Webb Space Telescope and NASA's Mars rovers to photograph the object as it shoots toward the sun.
