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RTHK
2 days ago
- RTHK
'Interstellar object' spotted in Solar System
'Interstellar object' spotted in Solar System Astronomers believe a 10-20km-wide mass may be the third interstellar object to be observed in our Solar System. File photo: Reuters An object that appears to be from beyond our Solar System has been spotted hurtling towards the Sun, which if confirmed would be the third visitor from the stars ever detected, the European Space Agency said on Wednesday. The object, which is currently being referred to as A11pl3Z, poses no threat to Earth, the ESA's planetary defence head Richard Moissl told AFP. "It will fly deep through the Solar System, passing just inside the orbit of Mars," but will not hit our neighbouring planet, he said. Excited astronomers are still refining their calculations, but the object appears to be zooming more than 60 kilometres a second. This would mean it is not bound by the Sun's orbit, unlike comets and asteroids, which all originate from 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 are not 100 percent certain at the moment, but anything else would be a surprise," he added. Official confirmation is expected to come from the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, which has recorded more than 100 observations of the object so far. The NASA-funded ATLAS survey in Hawaii first discovered the object on Tuesday, US astronomer David Rankin wrote on the social media platform Bluesky. Professional and amateur astronomers across the world then searched through past telescope data, tracing its trajectory back to at least June 14. The object is currently estimated to be roughly 10-20 kilometres wide, Moissl said. But the object could be smaller if it is made out of ice, which reflects more light. "It will get brighter and closer to the Sun until late October and then still be observable (by telescope) until next year," Moissl said. It would be the third time humanity has detected something coming from the stars. The first, 'Oumuamua, was discovered in 2017. It was so strange that at least one prominent scientist became convinced it was an alien vessel – though this has since been dismissed by further research. Our second interstellar visitor, 2I/Borisov, was spotted in 2019. Mark Norris, an astronomer at the UK's University of Central Lancashire, told AFP that the new object appears to be "moving considerably faster than the other two extra-solar objects that we previously discovered." He pointed to modelling estimating that there could be as many 10,000 interstellar objects drifting through the Solar System at any given time, though most would be smaller than the newly discovered object. If true, this suggests that the newly online Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile could soon be finding these dim interstellar visitors every month, Norris said. (AFP)
RTHK
2 days ago
- RTHK
'Interstellar object' spotted in Solar System
'Interstellar object' spotted in Solar System Astronomers believe a 10-20km-wide mass may be the third interstellar object to be observed in our Solar System. File photo: Reuters An object that appears to be from beyond our Solar System has been spotted hurtling towards the Sun, which if confirmed would be the third visitor from the stars ever detected, the European Space Agency said on Wednesday. The object, which is currently being referred to as A11pl3Z, poses no threat to Earth, the ESA's planetary defence head Richard Moissl told AFP. "It will fly deep through the Solar System, passing just inside the orbit of Mars," but will not hit our neighbouring planet, he said. Excited astronomers are still refining their calculations, but the object appears to be zooming more than 60 kilometres a second. This would mean it is not bound by the Sun's orbit, unlike comets and asteroids, which all originate from 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 are not 100 percent certain at the moment, but anything else would be a surprise," he added. Official confirmation is expected to come from the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, which has recorded more than 100 observations of the object so far. The NASA-funded ATLAS survey in Hawaii first discovered the object on Tuesday, US astronomer David Rankin wrote on the social media platform Bluesky. Professional and amateur astronomers across the world then searched through past telescope data, tracing its trajectory back to at least June 14. The object is currently estimated to be roughly 10-20 kilometres wide, Moissl said. But the object could be smaller if it is made out of ice, which reflects more light. "It will get brighter and closer to the Sun until late October and then still be observable (by telescope) until next year," Moissl said. It would be the third time humanity has detected something coming from the stars. The first, 'Oumuamua, was discovered in 2017. It was so strange that at least one prominent scientist became convinced it was an alien vessel – though this has since been dismissed by further research. Our second interstellar visitor, 2I/Borisov, was spotted in 2019. Mark Norris, an astronomer at the UK's University of Central Lancashire, told AFP that the new object appears to be "moving considerably faster than the other two extra-solar objects that we previously discovered." He pointed to modelling estimating that there could be as many 10,000 interstellar objects drifting through the Solar System at any given time, though most would be smaller than the newly discovered object. If true, this suggests that the newly online Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile could soon be finding these dim interstellar visitors every month, Norris said. (AFP)
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- South China Morning Post
China boosts science, tech outreach to Global South as its US collaboration dips: analysts
China is ramping up its science and technology outreach to the Global South while its collaboration with the US on the same front is receding, analysts said on Tuesday at an event hosted by the Institute for China-America Studies, a Washington think tank. 'China is very heavily engaging with those countries,' said Caroline Wagner of the Ohio State University, noting Beijing has signed science and technology agreements with 'dozens and dozens of countries'. That development marks a 'critical departure' from earlier years when China was primarily focused on the US, added Wagner, who formerly advised the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as a researcher at Rand, a public policy group. She called for greater bilateral dialogue to preserve areas of scientific cooperation beneficial to the US. Wagner's comments came as the US State Department is reportedly shutting down its Office of Science and Technology Cooperation, which is responsible for negotiating and overseeing bilateral science and technology agreements. Delegates from various Belt and Road Initiative countries attend a science and technology forum in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on June 12, 2025. Photo: Xinhua The closure was slated for July 1, though the entity overseeing the office – the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs – did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation.
