Abu Dhabi observatory captures image of interstellar object

Al Etihad

4 days ago

31 July 2025 11:15
A. SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)An Abu Dhabi-based astronomy centre has tracked an extraordinary comet hurtling through our solar system at an astonishing speed of 221,000 kilometres per hour—marking a rare interstellar visitor from beyond.Al-Khatim Astronomical Observatory, located in the Abu Dhabi desert, captured images of the comet on the evening of July 3, according to Eng. Mohammad Shawkat Odeh, Director of the International Astronomy Center. Speaking to Aletihad, he confirmed that this makes the observatory the first Arab facility to conduct scientific observations of this celestial object.The comet was initially discovered by NASA on July 1, using the ATLAS survey system and its telescope in Chile. Originally designated 'A11pl3Z,' it was later named 'C/2025 N1 (ATLAS)' and has now been formally classified as '3I/ATLAS'. The prefix '3I' signifies its distinction as only the third known interstellar object — meaning it originated outside our solar system. The first, 'Oumuamua', was detected in 2017, followed by 2I/Borisov in 2019.Eng. Odeh noted that the comet, currently located 670 million kilometres from the Sun, is travelling at a velocity too great to be gravitationally bound to our solar system. 'Experts were able to determine that it originated outside the solar system due to its extreme speed and its open trajectory, as it does not orbit the Sun,' he said.Observing the comet was technically demanding due to its faint brightness, with a current visual magnitude of 17.5. It is only visible through large telescopes. Despite this, the observatory team succeeded in capturing 45 images during a 45-minute observation window. 'The team observed the comet moving among the stars at high speed,' Eng. Odeh said, adding that the object is in the yellow box in the captured image displayed above.Data from the Abu Dhabi observatory has been submitted to the Minor Planet Center (MPC) of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), further marking the region's growing role in global space science.Eng. Odeh said the comet will make its closest approach to the Sun on October 30, 2025, at a distance of 210 million kilometres. It poses no danger to Earth, with its nearest approach to our planet expected to be 240 million kilometres away.NASA confirmed that the comet was first detected coming from direction of the Sagittarius constellation, home to the centre of the Milky Way galaxy. According to a NASA statement, '3I/ATLAS should remain visible to ground-based telescopes through September, after which it will pass too close to the Sun to observe. It is expected to reappear on the other side of the Sun by early December, allowing for renewed observations.'Astronomers around the world are now racing to better understand its physical properties. Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, said the visible fuzziness of the object suggests it is made mostly of ice, not rock.Richard Moissl, head of planetary defence at the European Space Agency, confirmed its trajectory 'means it's not orbiting our star, but coming from interstellar space and flying off to there again.' He added that it is currently estimated to be 10 to 20 kilometres wide, potentially making it the largest interstellar object ever detected.Meanwhile, Harvard astronomer and alien technology theorist Avi Loeb has floated the idea that 3I/ATLAS could be an alien probe sent to us by an intelligent civilisation. He also suggested that we could use an existing spacecraft to intercept the object's path to understand its nature.
In a paper, the researcher argued that NASA's Juno spacecraft, which was designed to study Jupiter and launched in 2011, could get close to 3I/ATLAS by March 14, 2026. But NASA is yet to deliver its opinion on the feasibility of this idea.