Comet 3I/Atlas: Astronomers spot object that's travelled from outside the Solar System
What did scientists find?
According to Nasa, 3l/ATLAS was first spotted on 1 July, by a telescope in the south American country of Chile. Experts think that the visitor from the stars is likely to be the largest one ever detected, and it has been classified as a comet, or a cosmic snowball.It's only the third time that such an object has been spotted in the Milky Way. The first interstellar visitor was discovered in 2017, and the second one in 2019.Astronomers say that 3l/ATLAS appears to be zooming more than 37 miles a second.However, scientists say that it will not travel close to our planet.Richard Moissl from the European Space Agency, explained: "It will fly deep through the Solar System, passing just inside the orbit of Mars," but will not hit our neighbouring planet.The path that 3l/ATLAS is following in space also "means it's not orbiting our star, but coming from interstellar space and flying off to there again," Moissl added.Experts expect the object will continue to brighten as it nears the Sun, bending slightly under the pull of gravity, and is expected to reach its closest point on 29 October.It will then move further away and exit the Solar System over the next few years.Astronomers hope that's while it's in the Milky Way, 3l/ATLAS could reveal more about the potential for life in deep space.
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