&w=3840&q=100)
Is this mystery interstellar object the oldest comet ever?
3I/ATLAS was discovered by the Atlas telescope in Chile. Reuters
Last week saw much excitement within the scientific community.
This came after scientists discovered a mysterious object hurtling through our solar system.
The object, spotted on July 1, is believed to have come from interstellar space.
It was discovered by the Atlas telescope in Chile.
Nicknamed 3I/ATLAS, it is only the third interstellar object that has entered our solar system after 1I/Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019.
Now, astronomers say that 3I/ATLAS could be the oldest comet ever.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
But what do we know about it? What are scientists saying?
Let's take a closer look
But what do we know about it?
The object was spotted around 669 million kilometres from the sun.
It was initially named A11pl3Z.
It is thought to have a diameter of 20 kilometers.
Nasa has said Earth is no danger from it.
Experts say 3I/ATLAS has a tail and a nucleus – which means it is a comet.
They say it likely hails from the Milky Way's 'thick disk' of stars.
The 'thick disk' comprises around 10 per cent of the Milky Way's stellar mass.
It can currently be spotted by very large telescopes.
It should be seen via amateur telescopes later this year.
They say it is likely made up of a lot of water ice.
It will get closest to the Sun in October.
However, it will still be only around half as close to the Sun as Earth is.
By that time, it will be travelling around 68 kilometers per second or around 245,000 kilometers per hour.
Still, as it gets closer and closer to the sun, its frozen ice will transform into gas.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
This will give the 3I/ATLAS a cometary aura, or 'coma,' and a bright tail – for which comets are known.
What are scientists saying?
They are saying that 3I/ATLAS maybe the oldest comet in history.
The research was presented at a meeting f the UK's Royal Astronomical Society at Durham University on Friday.
'We're all very excited by 3I/Atlas,' University of Oxford astronomer Matthew Hopkins told BBC News.
'I've just finished my PhD where I spent four years predicting the discovery of [more] interstellar objects, and then for the first time in my studies, we found one,' he said.
Hopkins is among those claiming it could be as old as 7 billion years.
Our Milky Way galaxy, for reference, is around 13.6 billion years old.
This would make 3I/ATLAS older than our solar system – which is around 4 billion years old.
'All non-interstellar comets, such as Halley's comet, formed at the same time as our solar system, so they are up to 4.5 billion years old,' Hopkins said in a statement to _Space.com_. 'But interstellar visitors have the potential to be far older, and of those known about so far, our statistical method suggests that 3I/ATLAS is very likely to be the oldest comet we have ever seen.'
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Hopkins said there is a nearly 70 per cent chance that 3I/ATLAS is between 7.6 and 14 billion years old.
'This is an object from a part of the galaxy we've never seen up close before,' added professor Chris Lintott, co-author of the study.
'We think there's a two-thirds chance this comet is older than the solar system, and that it's been drifting through interstellar space ever since."
Our Milky Way galaxy, for reference, is around 13.6 billion years old.
They are thrilled as to what it could mean for the future.
'We're in an exciting time, 3I/ATLAS is already showing signs of activity. The gases that may be seen in the future as 3I/ATLAS is heated by the sun will test our model,' team member Michele Bannister, of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, told _Space.com._
Some of the biggest telescopes in the world are already observing this new interstellar object – one of them may be able to find out!'
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
With inputs from agencies
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
New York to auction largest known piece of Mars on Earth
At first glance, it might seem like just a hefty chunk of rock. But this 54-pound specimen is unlike anything else on Earth, because it's not from Earth at all! It's the largest known piece of Mars ever discovered here, and it's heading under an auction at Sotheby's in New York. Named NWA 16788, this meteorite is believed to have been blasted off Mars by a colossal asteroid impact, hurtled 140 million miles through space, and finally landed in the Sahara Desert. It was discovered by a meteorite hunter in Niger in November 2023, reported AP citing Sotheby's. 'This Martian meteorite is the largest piece of Mars we have ever found by a long shot,' said Cassandra Hatton, vice chairman for science and natural history at Sotheby's. 'So it's more than double the size of what we previously thought was the largest piece of Mars.' Measuring nearly 15 inches by 11 inches by 6 inches, this red, brown, and grey chunk is around 70% larger than the second-biggest known Martian meteorite. It alone accounts for nearly 7% of all Martian material ever found on Earth. Sotheby's notes, as per AP, that there are only about 400 confirmed Martian meteorites among the 77,000+ meteorites officially recognised on Earth. To confirm its extraterrestrial origin, a small piece was sent to a specialist lab and compared with the chemical fingerprint established by NASA's Viking probe, which landed on Mars in 1976. The results were conclusive: the rock is an olivine-microgabbroic shergottite, a slowly cooled Martian magma type filled with pyroxene and olivine crystals. Its glassy surface hints at the fiery entry it endured while hurtling through Earth's atmosphere. Expected to fetch between $2 million and $4 million, this meteorite leads a collection of 122 items in Sotheby's Geek Week 2025 natural history-themed sale. The lot also includes a juvenile Ceratosaurus nasicornis skeleton, a dinosaur measuring over 6 feet tall and nearly 11 feet long. As for the Mars rock, its journey may have spanned millions of years and millions of miles, but its final stop may be a collector's cabinet, unless a museum or research institution steps wins the bid. (With inputs from AP)
India.com
2 hours ago
- India.com
Do you know how much money ISRO spent on Shubhanshu Shukla's space mission? The amount will surprise you
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is fully ready to begin his return journey on July 14 after completing his 14-day mission on the International Space Station. Recently, he and other crew members attended a feast and shared pictures of the mini party at the orbiting laboratory. Shukla has become the first Indian to travel to the ISS, live and work in zero gravity. Before him, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma went to space in the year 1984. A splashdown of the spacecraft carrying Shukla and three other astronauts is expected after the undocking, near the coast of California in the Pacific Ocean. How Much Money Did ISRO Spent On The Mission? Elon Musk's SpaceX has charged India USD70 million (approx Rs 538 crore). The amount is significantly higher than SpaceX's competitors such as Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic. Astronaut training for ISS research missions is a comprehensive program lasting one year. According to CEO Tejpaul Bhatia, the whopping fee of USD70 million covers the cost of the journey and intensive training that meets American space agency NASA's standards. However, it not that rigorous as that for the American space agency's astronauts. Axiom Space astronaut training is a rigorous, year-long program. Collaborating with NASA, SpaceX, ESA, and JAXA, astronauts receive 700-1000 hours of instruction covering safety, health, International Space Station systems, and launch procedures. Astronauts described the experience on ISS as 'rugged' with every minute count due to the tight schedule. What did Shukla do at the ISS? Group Captain Shukla performed as many as seven India-specific experiments at the ISS as part of mission 'Akash Ganga' that paves the way Gaganyaan human space flight mission. India is emerging as a leading player in the space sectors with Indian space agency ISRO sending other countries satellites in space at a very affordable prices.
News18
4 hours ago
- News18
'We're All Very Excited': Shubhanshu Shukla's Father Eagerly Waits For His Return From Space
Last Updated: The Axiom-4 space mission carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is expected to undock from the ISS on July 14 at 4:35 pm. The spacecraft will reach Earth at 3 pm on July 15. As Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla spends his final days at the International Space Station (ISS), his father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla, is eagerly anticipating his son's return from a historic flight to space on July 14 (Monday). 'We are all very excited! His return will begin tomorrow on 14th July, and we are eagerly waiting for him to arrive on Earth on the 15th," Shambhu Dayal Shukla told reporters. He also thanked Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and his wife Dimple Yadav for extending their best wishes to the astronaut. Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's father, Shambhu Dayal Shukla says, 'We are all very excited! His return will begin tomorrow on 14th July, and we are eagerly waiting for him to arrive on the Earth on the 15th…" — IANS (@ians_india) July 13, 2025 Shukla, an Indian Air Force Group Captain, is the first Indian astronaut to reach space in more than 40 years since Rakesh Sharma's historic spaceflight in 1984. His father said Shubhanshu's family is eagerly waiting for his return. NASA had earlier announced that the Axiom-4 mission carrying Shubhanshu Shukla and three fellow crewmates is expected to undock from the International Space Station no earlier than July 14. The four astronauts are scheduled to undock from the ISS on Monday, July 14, at 4.35 pm IST (7.05 am ET), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said in a statement. After a series of orbital manoeuvres, the Crew Dragon spacecraft is expected to splash down near the coast of California on July 15, 2025, at 3 pm IST. The Axiom-4 crew comprises IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, Poland's Slawosz Uznanski and Hungary's Tibor Kapu. They completed their 14-day stay at the ISS on Thursday. The crew collected data for a study to explore how astronauts perceive and interact with their environment in orbit, which is critical for designing mentally supportive habitats for long-duration missions. Another study focused on cerebral blood flow, investigating how microgravity and elevated carbon dioxide levels affect cardiovascular function. Shubhanshu Shukla had worked on the microalgae experiment, deploying and stowing samples that could one day provide food, oxygen and biofuels for deep-space missions, according to Axiom Space. He will undergo a seven-day rehabilitation programme after his splashdown off the California coast on July 15 as he returns to the Earth. ISRO paid approximately Rs 550 crore for Shukla's travel to the ISS – an experience that will help the space agency in planning and execution of its human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan, set to take to orbit in 2027. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
